Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ATTORNEY DOCKET A148 1191
CEILING TILE TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER SYSTEM
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present invention is a formalization of a previously filed, co-pending
U.S.
Provisional Patent Application entitled "Ceiling Tile and Transmitter/Receiver
System",
filed August 10, 1999 as Serial Number 60/148,060 by the inventors name in
this patent
application. This patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of
the cited
Provisional Patent Application, according to the statutes and rules governing
provisional
patent applications, particularly 35 U.S.C ~ 119(e)(1) and 37 C.F.R. ~
1.78(a)(3) and
(a)(4). The specification and drawings of the Provisional Patent Application
are
specifically incorporated by reference herein.
'
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
During recent years in the designing or retrofitting of buildings, there has
become
an ever more pressing need to increase design flexibility. With the pervasive
use of
digital electronics, building designs now need to incorporate such
infrastructure as digital
communications, Internet connections, local area network connections,
increased voice
communications capability, and the like. Also, more and more appliances, such
as
security, sound, paging, heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC),
lighting,
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heating and cooling systems are digitally controlled. This technology has
placed even
more stress on the building design which has to include communications bus
systems
between the various appliances and some central control system.
The building management systems that control these appliances have also
evolved. Computer control is now fundamental to building management systems.
This
has lead the way to the measurement and control of the aforementioned
appliances. By
adding computer control, great savings in energy costs are achieved in terms
of turning
devices on or off, or adjusting appliances, based upon user needs or even user
projected
needs. Also, the remote control of systems has enabled the building management
function
1o to be done offpremises.
Building management systems contain various appliances for building service
functions, a control system for control and regulation of the appliances, and
a
communication bus for communication of signals between the control system and
the
appliances. Such a system is used for the central management of building
functions, such
as lighting, heating, and ventilation etc. The appliances include, for
example, lighting,
heating equipment, air-conditioning devices or electrically movable window
blinds. In
office buildings and commercial and industrial complexes, the central
management of
energy consumption services allows a relatively easy adjustment of the level
of light or
temperature to the actual existing demand at any moment. This results in
considerable
2o savings of energy and costs. Such a system precisely monitors energy
consumption and
enables accurate billing of the users in a mufti-user building. Such a
building
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management system can also be used for peak saving purposes to comply with the
requirements of an electric company to keep power consumption below an agreed
maximum level.
Many building management systems have different capability, which leads to
having different transmitter/receiver devices in the same ceiling system, or
more
importantly, a different method to integrate these different
transmitter/receiver devices.
For instance, one communication system may require one frequency setting
whereas
another communication system may require an entirely different frequency
setting. Also,
one communication system may require a certain power or gain, whereas another
would
to be different. Antenna gain is related to antenna size, and therefore if
more gain is needed,
the size of the antenna is increased.
Aesthetics have become of primary importance in building ceiling systems. Many
ceiling manufacturers offer a wide variety of designs and colors for their
suspended
ceiling systems.
Furthermore, many appliances are attached or hung from the ceiling panels or
ceiling suspension grids. Today unfortunately, theft and vandalism have become
issues,
and at times devices such as smoke detectors, fire alarms, lighting fixtures,
etc. have been
vandalized.
In the known systems, the local controllers and the appliances are connected
to the
2o communication bus by wires. In a modern office building or commercial
complex this is
a drawback as space layouts are often changed. Changing space layouts almost
always
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requires displacement of the appliances and frequently the tearing down and
rebuilding of
internal walls. To achieve a flexible floor layout at low cost, a minimum
amount of
wiring in the walls is required. However, it is also essential that the users
of a building
have full control over the location of the appliances; consequently, placing
appliances
only at predetermined locations is unacceptable. In current systems, a hard-
wired
communication bus is used to connect to the local room wireless
transmitter/receiver
systems. These wireless transmitter/receiver systems are used to communicate
between
the bus and the appliances in the room. However, the communication bus system
is still a
"hardwired" configuration. This leads to a decrease in flexibility, since a
room's square
to footage may change over time, and therefore the transmitter/receiver
devices and the
hardwired communication bus may also need to be changed or rerouted. Rerouting
or
changing current transmitter/receiver devices requires modifying ceiling
panels
(drilling/punching/cutting) and replacing the ceiling tiles that had the
transmitter/ receiver
device in it.
Another problem occurs in that transmitter/receiver devices have poor
aesthetics
when suspended from ceiling panels. After much design and expense have been
invested
in a ceiling panel system, a rod or dish antenna system is added to the
ceiling panel to
allow it to communicate to appliances below. There has not been much
consideration
given in terms of the room aesthetics of a joint system of antennas and
ceiling panels.
2o Another problem occurring in the industry is vandalism and theft. When
devices
can be physically seen, they are more prone to be tampered with or removed.
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1
Still another problem occurs in the design of ceiling tile panels that can be
integrated with antennas of different sizes. In the manufacturing and sales of
ceiling tiles,
processes have to be made flexible to account for all of the different part
numbers
corresponding to transmitter/receiver devices.
S>lrIMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The basic concept of the present invention is to attach or embed at least one
transmitter/receiver device in a ceiling panel either during or after the
ceiling panel
manufacturing process. T'he invention concept involves a number of related
to embodiments. In a first embodiment at least one pocket is created on the
backside of the
ceiling panel, of variable size and shape, by the ceiling panel manufacturing
process and
then a transmitter/receiver device, such as an RF antenna, is rigidly fixed in
the pocket
after ceiling panel manufacturing.
In another embodiment, the transmitter/receiver device is embedded in the
front
side of the ceiling tile and a "scrim" covering is placed over it. The
transmitter/receiver
device can also be embedded inside the ceiling tile or rigidly fixed on the
top or side
surface of the ceiling tile. The transmitter/receiver device can also be
embedded on the
front surface of the ceiling tile, where the transmitter adds to, or
integrates into, the
overall aesthetics of the ceiling tile. Various combinations of these
embodiments can be
2o used with a single ceiling tile.
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;.
Other inventive concepts involve manufacturing aspects. There are several
different ceiling tile manufacturing processes that can be used for embedding
the
transmitting/receiving devices. A high temperature resistant "place holding"
structure
that can withstand the ceiling tile treatments can also be provided that can
be removed
later to allow the mounting of the transmitter/receiver device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is better described by reading the following Detailed
Description of
the Invention with reference to the accompanying drawing figures, in which
like
1 o numerals refer to like elements throughout.
Fig. I illustrates a ceiling tile with formed or cut pockets on the back
surface for
rigidly fixing antennas or other electronic devices in accordance with an
exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 illustrates a ceiling tile with formed pockets on the back surface with
one
pocket containing a transmitter/receiver device in accordance with an
exemplary
embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 illustrates a ceiling tile with formed pockets on the front surface for
containing a transmitter/receiver device, and a scrim cover for attaching to
the front
surface in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2o Fig. 4 illustrates a transmitter/receiver device embedded within a ceiling
tile in
accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
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Fig. 5 illustrates a transmitter/receiver device that is rigidly fixed to the
back
surface of a ceiling tile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the
present
invention.
Fig. 6 illustrates a transmitter/receiver device that is rigidly fixed to a
side surface
of a ceiling tile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 7 illustrates a ceiling tile having several surface features positioned
on the
front surface of a ceiling tile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of
the present
invention.
Fig. 8 illustrates a transmitter/receiver device that is encased on the front
surface
to of a ceiling tile in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In a first embodiment of the invention, at least one pocket is created on the
backside of the ceiling panel during the ceiling panel manufacturing process,
wherein
each pocket can be of a different size and shape, and antennas, or other
electronic
components, are rigidly fixed in these pockets after ceiling panel
manufacturing. Shown
in Fig. 1 is a section from a ceiling tile 1, with back surface (facing
towards the plenum)
10 and a front surface (facing towards the room) 20. Throughout this
description, the
terms "back surface" and "upper surface" are used interchangeably. Likewise
"front
surface" and "lower surface" are interchangeable. Depicted in the figure are
pockets 2, 3,
and 4. These pockets can be made of different dimensions in width, length and
depth, to
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account for various possible sizes and shapes of the transmitter/receiver
antennas or other
electronic devices to be inserted.
A ceiling tile router can be used to cut pockets 2, 3, 4 after the ceiling
tiles are
fully manufactured. These pockets also can be stamped on the back side after
the ceiling
tile is wet manufactured. Alternately, these pockets can be defined by placing
a ceramic
placeholder during the forming process of the ceiling tile, so that the
ceiling tile is wet-
formed and then cured. When the ceiling tile dries, the ceramic placeholders
are removed.
These are just a few of the possible methods of creating these pockets.
Fig. 2 illustrates a ceiling tile 1 with an antenna 50 having electrical leads
60, and
1o which can be used for the transmission or reception of radio frequency (RF)
signals. The
antenna is placed in the pocket 2 of the ceiling tile 1. The pockets are
designed so as to
allow any of multiple sizes and shapes of antennas to be placed in the
pockets. These
antennas can simply be glued or clamped into the pocket. The electrical leads
are usually
of the coaxial type with easy to connect connectors.
In a second embodiment of the invention the transmitter/receiver is embedded
in
the front side of the ceiling tile and a "scrim" covering is placed over it.
Such an
embodiment is depicted in Fig. 3 with a ceiling panel 1 having a top surface
203 and a
bottom surface 202. This structure is shown inverted from the structures
illustrated in .
Figs. 1 and 2 in which the back of the ceiling tile faces up, whereas in Fig.
3 the front of
2o the ceiling tile faces up. Pockets 30 and 31 are shown, fabricated as
before. Antenna 50 is
placed/fixed in pocket 30, with electrical leads 51 being routed out through
the back of
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1
the ceiling panel. A hole is formed from the pocket to the back of the ceiling
tile by a drill
or other means. The scrim 201, normally used in aesthetic ceiling tiles, is a
sheath
stretched and glued over the front face 203 of the ceiling tile 1. As can be
seen, this scrim
covers both the ceiling tile 1 and the antenna 50.
In high volume manufacturing of ceiling tiles, many pockets may be formed in
the
ceiling tile but not filled with an antenna, as discussed above. In the
example of Fig. 3,
the scrim also covers an empty pocket 31. In the case of some pockets being
too wide or
too deep to effectively cover without the scrim or its process deforming the
scrim in that
region, a dummy antenna structure is placed in the pocket. The antenna and
dummy
to structure, if any, are glued into place.
In a third embodiment of the invention, the transmitter/receiver device is
embedded inside the ceiling tile. As illustrated in Fig. 4, in certain
applications, the
antenna 50 in pocket 2 with extruding leads 60 can be effectively buried
within the
ceiling tile 1, with back surface 10 and front surface 20. Note that the
extruding leads 60
are protruding from the back surface 10. This embodiment fully protects the
antenna or
device from any outside sources of mechanical damage, and provides the antenna
or
device with further environmental protection from moisture etc., that the
ceiling tile
allows.
The antenna or device can be encapsulated during part of the ceiling tile
2o manufacturing process, if the highest temperature of the ceiling tile
manufacturing
process is lower than the limit that the antenna can withstand. During normal
ceiling tile
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.~.1
manufacturing, temperatures of 350°C are often reached. The
semiconductor process used
to form an antenna is usually above the 350°C level, and the thermoset
glue used to hold
the rest of the antenna structure together can be designed to be higher than
the 350°C
ceiling tile process limit.
Another method to completely encapsulate the antenna is to form a deep pocket
in
the ceiling tile as illustrated in Fig. 1. Next, the antenna is faced in the
deep pocket
followed by a back fill of the rest of the opening with a plug of ceiling tile
that is glued
in, or form a hardening paste in the antenna.
In other embodiments of the invention, the transmitter/receiver is rigidly
fixed on
to the top or side surface of the ceiling tile. As shown in Fig. 5, the
antenna or device 50 is
rigidly fixed by glue, clamps or other means to the back 10 of ceiling tile 1.
As shown in
Fig. 6, the antenna 50 is rigidly fixed by glue, clamps or other means to the
side of ceiling
tile 1.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, the transmitter is encased on the
front
surface of the ceiling tile, where the transmitter adds to, or integrates
into, the overall
aesthetics of the ceiling tile. Figs. 7 and 8 show a ceiling panel 1 with a
back surface 10
and a front surface 20. Decorative surface features 30 are shown on the front
surface to
create an aesthetic appeal. As can be seen in region 40 on front surface 20,
an aesthetic
surface feature is missing intentionally. As depicted in Fig. 8, an antenna or
device 50 is
2o placed/fixed in region 40 in the exact position where a surface feature
would have been
defined. The antenna is encased so as to look like a surface feature. The
leads 40 are
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shown as being passed through from the front surface 10 to the back surface 20
hidden
from view.
The ceiling tile transmitter and receiver system described herein can be
incorporated into a wireless communication plane providing an umbrella of
connectivity
for devices. Such devices can span a range from appliances to computer clients
(workstations, laptops, hand-held devices, etc.). In a wireless communication
system, RF
antennas, transceivers and receivers can be embedded or affixed to the ceiling
dle.
As described herein, the transmitters/receivers can be embedded in the ceiling
tile.
The components of the transmitter/receiver system include miniature antennas,
single
to chip transceivers, sensors, power supplies, microprocessors, etc. The
transmitter/receiver
system in one preferred embodiment employs an omnidirectional multistrip
antenna that
has a toroidal field pattern and provides omnidirectional coverage in any
plane around the
long axis of the antenna and two lobes in any plane parallel to the long axis.
Such
microstrip antenna and also omnidirectional air-loaded patch element antennas
are
available for different frequencies and application requirements. One
exemplary antenna
that can be used is the Microsphere omnidirectional microstrip antenna
available from
Xertex Technologies.
Although the present invention has been described in the context of the
manufacturing of ceiling tiles that incorporate embedded or affixed
transmitter/receiver
2o devices either during or after the manufacture of ceiling tiles, the
invention is equally
applicable to the installation of transmitter/receiver devices in existing
ceiling tiles. To
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serve that end, it is a simple extension to provide a retrofitting kit to
building supply
vendors, building contractors or directly to other parties that includes the
tools and
additional hardware required to form pockets in existing ceiling tiles to
accommodate
transmitter/receiver devices and to rigidly affix the transmitter/receiver
devices in the
pockets or on a surface of the ceiling tile.
Furthermore, the corresponding structures, materials, acts and equivalents of
any
means plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any
structure,
material, or acts for performing the functions in combination with other
claimed elements
as specifically claimed.
to While the invention has been particularly shown and described with
reference to
preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that
various other changes in form and detail may be made without departing from
the spirit
and scope of the invention.
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